Keeping the blogosphere posted on the goings on of the world of submarines since late 2004... and mocking and belittling general foolishness wherever it may be found. Idaho's first and foremost submarine blog. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me; don't call me at home.)

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Happy Armed Forces Day!

Today is "Armed Forces Day" -- one of those holidays where it sounds like it should be a big deal, but it turns out that you only get the day off because they have it on Saturday. The 3rd Saturday in May was designated as the day to honor all the Armed Services after re-alignment in 1949; before that, there were individual days for all the Services. (Navy Day was at the end of October, for instance.)

2) Check out all the new pictures of submarines they've recently posted over at the newly-redesigned navy.mil site; you can get to them by clicking here, then selecting "Pictures" in the dropdown menu and typing in "ssn", "ssbn", or "ssgn" ("ssn" has the most), or you can click on the links I'm providing below:

Pictures of USS Dallas (SSN 700) last week pulling into Diego Garcia: 12Pictures of USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) leaving on deployment from Norfolk: 12Pictures of USS Albany (SSN 753) pulling into Souda Bay, Crete: 1234Newly-commissioned USS North Carolina (SSN 777): 1234567USS Hawaii (SSN 776) returns from her maiden "deployment": 12USS Montpelier (SSN 765) returns from deployment: 12345And the picture of the last few weeks, associated with USS Pasadena's return from deployment, is this one, of a Pasadena Submariner proposing to his girlfriend right after the boat pulls in:

3) You could read some submarine books. I'm currently reading "Scorpion Down", and when that's done, I'll start reading a new submarine book I just picked up called "Escape From The Deep", about USS Tang (SS 306).

4) You could even do something having to do with another part of the Armed Forces, but I don't see why. Personally, I'm hoping to go to the Military History Museum, then go see a movie, and then maybe write a blog post making fun of the new "plastic retention" program our submarine crews are having forced upon them. I'm sure there will be lawn work involved as well.

16 Comments:

Gomerb said...

The plastic retention program is indeed impressive! I hope it works better than the retention program that was aimed at me. The most impressive part was seeing that the chief helps his guys carry those 40 lb bags to the pier. What a bud! I bet he was surprised when that reporter popped out with a camera! Too bad they cropped out the Chop with his bag!

I'm staying in touch with my USSVI "smokeboat" shipmates from Cuttlefish Base (Redding CA) re: the long drive to San Francisco for the Memorial Day Service onboard USS Pampanito SS-383. Traditionally, following the service you hear over the boats 1MC, "Answer Bells Two Main Engines." this is followed by the "clunk" of the outboard exhausts opening (yes the hydraulic plant is operational) followed by the sound of the number 1 then number 2 FM 38D 8-1/8 rolling on air (yes # 1, the Captains Air Bank is charged to 1500 PSI)followed by their roar as they start running, then settling into a steady rumble. I can't explain to you what an old smoke boat sailor feels, or the complex memories it evokes standing topside listening to those old diesels running, smelling that old familiar diesel exhaust, and hearing the cooling water from the exhaust splashing on the tank tops. Lots of memories for sure!

I served with ET2 Gibson for 3.5 years onboard the 'Dena and was there when he proposed. I turned to some old shipmates, who had also stopped by to welcome the ship back, and suddenly recalled "Hey, he bought that over a year ago when we were on WESTPAC!" They all agreed and it was then that we realized Don-Don had been planning this for a long time!

I particularly like all of ET2 Gibson's shipmates congregated a safe distance away by the brow. Seems like there was probably a conversation that went something like "I'll kick both of yer teeth in if ya f#$% this up for me" during the maneuvering watch.

Granted, we don't know if said shipmates threw ET2 Gibson into the harbor after she said yes, which would only be proper.

Too bad the pictures are not at a better angle so we can see her "doable" factor. At least she's got a tan. ET2 will soon learn that it still feels the same only more expensive! Seriously, Good luck to both of you in the future.

What a shame - she's always going to associate the day she got engaged with the horrific boat smell emanating from her man-to-be. And, I'm sure she can't help but wonder: is he proposing because he loves *me*, or would he have proposed to *any* girl after weeks at sea with nothing but dudes?

Funny you mention that. I read the “Scorpion Down” book months ago and when it got to the part about the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps (AC-MAC as we call him.) I was like hey “I make that guy lunch almost everyday!” So a couple of months pass, I forget about it and then last week I just happen to run into him while he is walking by himself in the Pentagon. (Which is really, really rare. Normally these people have like five or more aids escorting them.” So I say to General Magnus (what a cool name, I wish my name was Magnus!) “Sir, I read about you in a book written my Ed Foley.” Then he takes the conversation on from there. Saying that they were roommates together at UVA(?), and before that he was an “ET” striker but never actually became an ET. Anyhow it was all pretty much a blur being that I am only an E-5 and there were 4 shinny silver stars staring me right in the face. I don’t typically get nervous around the brass at the Pentagon but in this case I was pretty much speechless. He was such friendly guy and even patted me on the back and shook my hand before I veered left to my kitchen and he headed straight to his office. It was just surreal, nothing at all like the time on my first day at the Pentagon when I made the boneheaded mistake of calling the MCPON a Senior Chief. Yea… that did not go over too well!!!

Oh, here’s the story. When I effed up and called the MCPON a Senior Chief. He stopped dead in his tracks. I stopped too, because I was like “Why did this guy just stop?” He turned and faced me and in what seemed like in slow-motion-moving-words said, “Not QUITE a Senior Chief.” At that exact moment, I realized that there were 3 little shinny stars over that gold anchor and that I was about to be squashed like a bug. Anyhow to make a long story short, the only thing that saved my ass was the fact that I had dolphins on my chest and he did too. To this day I swear that I only saw one star on his anchor, but I will never forget the moment that I saw THREE! Brings new meaning to the saying “I almost Shat myself!”

A shipalt is in progress on the 688’s to accommodate the plastic waste retention plan. However, it appears that the actual needs may have been underestimated. The shipalt removes the sink in the Stbd outboard of the Pantry. The piping that ran under the sink is rerouted, and the under-counter area is finished out as a rather nice locker to store the heat-sealed plastic bags of plastic waste.

If the SSBN off-loaded about 2000 lbs in 40 lb bags, that’s about 50 of those bags the CSC is carrying. Don’t think the new locker on the 688’s would hold anywhere near that number.

Maybe I misunderstood the intention/plan for the shipalt, but it looks to me that we’ll be putting plastic waste in the freezer as we make out way through a long op. (YUM! Even when sealed in odor-proof bags!)

About Me

I'm Joel Kennedy -- a married, 50-something year old retired submarine officer and esophageal cancer survivor with three kids who has finally made the transition to civilian life. Politically, I'm a Radical Moderate. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me. Don't call me at home.)